The Treasury is set to give the green light to an ambitious corridor linking the “brain-belt” cities of Cambridge and Oxford in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement tomorrow (November 23).

Chancellor Philip Hammond is expected to give the green light for the National Infrastructure Commission's (NIC) call for an expressway between Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge. It is hoped the improved transport links could boost business and help ease the city’s housing crisis.

The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) released its Interim Report into the Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford Corridor last week.

The report calls for the Government to commit £27 million to fund the next stage of the development work on a Cambridge to Oxford road “expressway” to allow the detailed design process to begin as soon as possible.

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The report says an Oxford-Cambridge Expressway, which has previously been referred to as a “brain-belt expressway”, would provide the “first, high quality road link from Oxford to Cambridge”. The expressway would, according to the NIC, could cut journey times across the Corridor by up to 40 per cent.

Some of the potential routes for the "expressway"

A spokesman for Cambridge Ahead said: “There is an undeniable need to strengthen the economic opportunities to deliver more jobs and a lot more homes to maximise the potential across three high-growth innovation hubs.

“The corridor is home to 3.3 million people, and at each end there are two of the UK’s fastest-growing cities – both becoming the least affordable to live in. On average, house prices are over 16x the average salary and middle incomers are failing to get on the housing ladder.

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“ Therefore, creating stronger and better transport connectivity along this corridor will certainly remove the housing pressure on these major hubs since people will be able to live outside of the cities’ boundaries with the latter remaining accessible to them.”

As well as a road link, the report calls for improved rail links between the two cities. It says the corridor could become the UK’s “Silicon Valley” if the development goes ahead.

The NIC’s Deputy Chair, Sir John Armitt said: “To succeed in the global economy, the UK must build on its strengths. The corridor connecting Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Oxford could be Britain’s Silicon Valley – a globally recognised centre for science, technology and innovation. But its future success is not guaranteed.

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“This area can become greater than the sum of its parts with better strategic planning which radically improves its transport connectivity whilst securing the tens of thousands of new homes it so desperately needs. East West Rail and the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway, can be a catalyst to bring the region together to deliver the housing and connectivity it will need to compete with the best in the world. This is a once in a generation opportunity – we must grab it with both hands.”

Cambridge Ahead’s spokesman said: “There is also the potential to significantly increase the opportunity to spread this level of innovation to clusters in Manchester and the North West by linking a rapid train service into Milton Keynes. By providing strong connectivity to the North as well as to the West, Cambridge can make an even greater contribution to growth and economic prosperity in the UK.”